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NEWBURYPORT – As breast cancer awareness month, community members will be celebrating their survivors on Thursday for the fifth edition of the Couture for a Cure market and fashion show to benefit the Gerrish Breast Care Center. Hospital Anna Jaques.
The show, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury, is sponsored by the hospital and the Institution for Savings. The tickets cost $ 50 each and all proceeds go directly to Gerrish, who celebrates his fifth birthday alongside the event.
"The number one, event celebrates survival," said Mary Williamson, vice president of development at Anna Jaques. "We are truly giving courage and courage to these women who were among the first to receive care at the Gerrish Breast Care Center."
Mary Anne Clancy, vice president of communications at the Institution for Savings, said the bank was a long-time supporter of Anna Jaques. The Institution for Savings donated funds for the new single patient care unit several years ago, as well as for the purchase of a 3D mammography machine essential for detecting early signs. breast cancer, she said.
Karen Andreas, regional editor of the North Media Group Group, will be the event's master of ceremonies, beginning with a "market of the best of the atmosphere". Shops, lounges and local stores will showcase their products and services and offer samples, discount coupons, said Clancy.
After lunch, guests will attend a parade of the latest fall styles at local stores including J. McLaughlin, The Elephant 's Trunk, Bobbles & Lace, Meraki, Dani Kaye, Smitten and Farley' s Newburyport.
The models include cancer survivors as well as local heroes, said Clancy. Some of the models are also women who have recently been diagnosed, including Megan Tierney, head of Newburyport School Resources.
In March, 33-year-old Tierney was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive triple-negative ductile breast cancer. She will walk on the runway alongside Newburyport police marshal Mark Murray.
Dr. Peter Hartmann, medical director of the Gerrish Breast Care Center, is one of the other models. He will walk on the track with Lucy, one of the hospital's therapy dogs, and Dana Marshall of The River, also a breast cancer survivor.
Although the market is in its fifth year, it's the first time that a fashion show is part of the event, Clancy said. The concept is that looking for the best often brings the benefits of empowerment and self-confidence. For patients with cancer, however, it is even more therapeutic and can be an essential part of treatment, she added.
Five years ago, Clancy declared that the Institution for Savings invited Anna Jaques to collaborate on a breakfast of the Chamber of Commerce commemorating Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This event also coincided with the launch of the Gerrish Breast Care Center. In recent years, breakfast has evolved into a lunch and an auction.
"As we all know, cancer knows no boundaries," said Michael J. Jones, President and CEO of the Institution for Savings. "Too many employees and their family members have fought cancer over the years and we are aware that it is so important to celebrate their success at the end of treatment.
Williamson said the proceeds would benefit the Breast Cancer Center and its programs, particularly The Comfort Fund, which provides assistance to patients with breast cancer currently being treated. The fund supports patients in a variety of ways, including providing transportation to treatment, shopping, laundry or providing a special item during treatment, she said.
"By entering, you can not anticipate how this can disrupt your family life," she said. "People do not have the energy to do the most normal things. This fund helps to cover these incidental expenses. They are the ones who make the difference in the quality of life of a patient. "
In addition, Jeannette Cattan, a breast cancer survivor and one of the models, created the "Look Good Feel Better" program and a wig bank at the Anna Jaques Cancer Center to help patients cope with the effects. side effects of chemotherapy and radiation-related appearance, Williamson said.
"It's her dream to have a showcase for the program at the Breast Care Center," she added. "It has a cost for a showcase and we are trying to make that dream come true for her."
Sponsorship places and table vendors are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Anna Jaques Hospital website, www.ajh.org or contact Clancy at 978-225-1324 or Kelley Sullivan, Marketing and Community Relations Manager at AJH at 978-463-1475.
Editor-in-Chief Amanda Getchell covers Newburyport and Seabrook. Follow her on Twitter @jgetch.
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